NEW LONDON, N.H. – July 2, 2020 – Alison Fairbairn (Dover, N.H.) has been named one of six finalists for the 2020 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Woman of the Year.

The winner will be announced in late July and will automatically be put forth as the GNAC representative for the prestigious national award, which spans across Divisions I, II and III.

Fairbairn has also been nominated by Colby-Sawyer for the NCAA Woman of the Year, which is a program honoring graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. Student-athletes are nominated only once in their career by their school.

The other finalists include:
Emmanuel - Yuleska Ramirez-Tejeda - basketball/softball
Johnson & Wales - Maria Coniglio – volleyball
Lasell - Mindy Esposito - field hockey
Saint Joseph's College of Maine - Lillian Bisset - soccer/track & field
Suffolk - Emily Manfra - cross country/track & field

To read about the other finalists, click HERE
 
Fairbairn, who excelled in cross country and track & field for the Chargers, posted a 3.81 GPA as an Exercise Science major. In cross country, she earned all-conference second team honors all four years, helped the team to three conference championships and posted six career top-10 finishes.  

In track & field, Fairbairn is the indoor record holder in the 1000-meter run, 4x800 relay and the distance relay. She helped the Chargers win an outdoor track & field conference championship.

The Dover, N.H. native's community leadership positions included the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Student Library Advisory Board (SLAB), the ESS Club and the dance club. She also was a student assistant to the Exercise Science professors, a tutor at the Student Learning Collaborative (SLC) and has volunteered at the Boston Marathon.

Fairbairn's Personal Statement: "Being a Division III student-athlete enriched my college experience by providing opportunities for me to learn leadership and confidence. Being a leader on my team inspired me to find other ways to be of service on campus, such as serving as a member of SAAC and as a peer tutor. It also inspired me to work hard in the classroom and put the same energy and enthusiasm into setting academic goals as high as my athletic goals. The balance between athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities that is available at the Division III level allowed me to work hard in several areas and apply lessons learned in sport to academics and other activities.

My coaches and teammates were my sturdiest encouragers on and off the cross country course. It is the people I met through cross country and track and field that have had the most significant impact on my college experience and plans for the future. Our coach inspired the team to be involved in other groups on campus and encouraged the team to work as hard in academics as in athletics. She inspired me to set my goals high, and instilled in me a confidence which was not there before. I decided to apply to graduate school in a field I am passionate about as a result of her support. Even more notable, she inspired compassion and willingness among the team. When the team was faced with challenge or disappointment, we learned to embrace the situation from different perspectives. We did not see an opportunity with a singular pathway leading to just one outcome, but with several avenues for different results. In a sport that is often viewed as "individual", we embraced the team aspect wholeheartedly.

We were presented with the opportunity to apply the values we learned when our coach left the program. While adjusting to a new system, I struggled to regain my confidence athletically and as a leader on the team. This shift and period of adjustment was difficult, but I learned that I must be willing to make conscious efforts to overcome periods of change and to accept my own thoughts and feelings before successfully helping others do the same. These lessons proved useful when spring athletic seasons were abruptly canceled. I was able to come to a place of acceptance that I had run my last race as a Charger. Knowing that the circumstances were out of my control, I found confidence in helping my teammates refocus their energy towards accepting the situation rather than grieving the loss of their competitive season.

Ultimately, the confidence I developed through my experiences as a collegiate athlete has propelled me into a future I am excited about. I look forward to translating the skills and lessons I learned in sport to a career in physical therapy, as well as finding other outlets to learn, grow, and serve my community throughout my lifetime."

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